We try to be good researchers and exercise good habits. But sometimes it feels too big and way too technical! One thing that can give us hang-ups is citing sources. There are giant books explaining how to cite sources. You can attend workshops to learn how to cite sources. All these resources can make source citation feel even more difficult. I’m hoping to change that for you today. Citing your sources doesn’t have to be something that only professionals do. Everyone can learn to cite sources.
The basic idea behind source citation is to note where you found information so that you—or anyone else—can go back to that record and see it with their own eyeballs. If you want to go back to a source in ten years, what information do you need to record today? Better yet, if you want your child to be able to see a record, what information will they need to locate it? We might think that writing down “Christening Record of Anna Nielsdatter” will be enough of a source citation. But if we think about it, that is nowhere near enough information to be able to find that record again.
Source citations need to include:
- name of the document
- name of the subject
- date on the document
- jurisdiction that created the document
- page/image number
- location where the record is housed (This might be a website or a microfilm number.)
Others may disagree with me, but I feel that if I have this information, I can find my source again. There are levels of academic citations that you can include. If you’re up for the task, that’s great! I hope that everyone gets there eventually. The key to learning source citation is to be thorough and to be consistent in your format.
I’m a believer that anyone can and should have great research habits. By mastering details like source citation, you will find that as your skills improve, you will be well on your way to excellence in research. And source citation is a habit that will help you so much in your research. If you can point yourself directly to the sources of your information, you will eliminate the awful dread that comes from researching in circles.